5 stories and artifacts that tell us about the history of osteopathic medicine

Taking a look at the past can help us better appreciate where we came from and how we got to where we are today.

To help DOs and medical students celebrate National Osteopathic Medicine (NOM) Week, April 18-24, 2022, The DO talked with researchers from the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri, and examined historical artifacts from the osteopathic medical profession that show how far we’ve come and provide a glimpse into the lives of some of the people who have helped shape the profession.

Along with preserving, displaying and studying many items from the profession’s history, the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine has recently been busy applying for accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). It expects to receive official AAM accreditation this year. AAM accreditation is the gold standard used to distinguish excellence in the museum field.

The Museum of Osteopathic Medicine has been preparing for the process for several decades, having gone from starting with only two small curio cabinets of personal possessions of A.T. Still, DO, MD, back in 1934, to now serving as a national and international resource for research in all things osteopathic medicine, with a current collection of 100,000 artifacts.

Below are five highlighted stories from osteopathic history that the museum has come across over the years, along with some accompanying artifacts from the museum’s collection.

1. The original Dr. Scholl’s orthotics were first labeled as osteopathic

Throughout history, DOs have brought a unique perspective to taking care of the human body. Dr. A.T. Still made leather orthotics for himself, and it’s likely that his were the inspiration for Dr. Scholl’s original orthotics. The orthotics are primarily to make a mass-produced shoe fit better. Orthotics can provide relief for those with foot pain or for patients who need some extra support.

“Before orthotics, your shoes were made for you and there was no need for this product,” says Jason Haxton, the director of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine. “Dr. Still created them because he got sick and possibly had nerve damage, so it caused him to have balance issues. Once shoes became mass-produced, this was how they were made to fit each person better.”

William Scholl, founder of the Dr. Scholl company, who invented and patented an arch support, became interested in podiatry when he was working in a shoe store while studying medicine in Chicago. In its early years, Dr. Scholl’s company produced orthotics that had “osteopathic” stamped on as a trademark. Dr. Scholl’s orthotics company thrived through the century and beyond and is a highly recognized company today.

Dr. Scholl’s dropped osteopathic from the orthotics’ name in the late 1920s when the company started to become successful.

2. 1918 flu pandemic report

Until the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, the most severe disease outbreak in recent memory was the 1918 influenza pandemic. Caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin, the influenza was first identified in military personnel, and it was estimated that around 500 million people (one-third of the world’s population at the time) were infected, with an estimated 50 million deaths.

To avoid becoming infected, isolation and hand-washing were recommended, along with wearing protection like masks and gloves, not touching outside items and not spitting in public. At the time, there were no machines to provide ventilation, and no intensive care units set up.

Like with COVID-19, when the 1918 influenza began, there were no medications available to treat the virus. Published by the Osteopathic Physician journal, this osteopathic flu report discusses what the disease was, how it was handled and osteopathic approaches to treatment.

The osteopathic treatment, according to George McCole, DO, of Great Falls, Montana, recommended adjustment of the deep-lying and tightened-up ligaments over the spinal cord as the most vigorous treatment. Extra coverings would be thrown over patients to keep them from getting cold, along with spinal structure adjustments.

3. AOA court case against Flexner

The Flexner Report, written by Abraham Flexner and published in 1910, suggested getting rid of all DO schools. It also proclaimed that there were too many medical schools available, with too many doctors being trained.

The AOA defended osteopathic medicine by suing Flexner and the Carnegie Foundation for $9 million in today’s dollars.

The goal of the report was to encourage American medical schools to enforce higher admission and graduation standards, and only focus on ‘mainstream’ science for their teachings. With many medical schools falling short of the recommended standards, around half either merged together or closed, as a result of this report and Flexner’s firm beliefs.

After the AOA set up the defense, Flexner and the Carnegies backed down. However, some changes have stuck: medical colleges were streamlined and had curricula standardized; physicians now receive at least six years of post-secondary formal instruction, nearly always in a university setting; and medical training adheres closely to the scientific method and is thoroughly grounded in human physiology and biochemistry, among other impacts.

4. The first issue of what is now the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine

What is now the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (JOM) was first published in September 1901. Originally called The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (PDF), JOM was first in the format of a newspaper, and was originally a publication for those who were practicing osteopathic medicine, patients of osteopathic physicians and those interested in the profession.

It has transformed into a peer-reviewed medical journal for those in the osteopathic medical profession as well as researchers, students and other professionals.

Still publishing at a frequency of 12 issues per year, JOM has recently taken on a more academic approach, providing research and knowledge geared toward many medical specialties through original research, review articles, clinical practice descriptions and case reports.

5. A photograph of the first DO to receive a legally recognized license to practice osteopathic medicine in the U.S.

Vermont was the first state to enact legislation granting the legal practice of osteopathic medicine.

George J. Helmer, DO, an 1896 graduate from the American School of Osteopathy, first introduced the medical practice to Vermont, and other medical professionals in the state originally pushed to ban Dr. Helmer and his practices.

At the time, DOs were required to have also completed MD school before they were permitted to practice medicine, which essentially meant they could not obtain licenses as DOs.

Luckily, one of Dr. Helmer’s patients was former Vermont Governor William P. Dillingham, who proclaimed his support of a bill that would allow DOs to practice medicine without having to be MDs as well.

“The bill saved the profession,” Haxton says.

Governor Josiah Grout was the one to sign it into law. The practice of osteopathic medicine officially became legal in Vermont with the approval of the bill on Nov. 24, 1896.

Today, DOs practice medicine in all 50 states and also practice in many other countries around the world. The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA), an osteopathically distinct competency assessment for licensure for practicing osteopathic medicine, is also accepted in all 50 states.

Related reading:

6 historical artifacts that tell a story about osteopathic medicine

An ocean away: The story of how osteopathy crossed the Atlantic